Mother jailed over baby's hot car death

A mother who killed her baby daughter by leaving her inside a hot car has been jailed for four years.

Michelle Nguyen, 21, of Glenroy, pleaded guilty in the Victorian Supreme Court to the manslaughter of her 10-month-old daughter.

Thy Tran died after falling asleep in a car on a 28 degrees Celsius day in November 2011.

The Supreme Court heard the doors and windows were all closed and the temperature inside would have risen to about 48C.

Nguyen had fallen asleep in front of the television and the baby was found unconscious a few hours later.

Paramedics were unable to revive her.

The court was told Nguyen had struggled with drug addiction and had left the baby inside cars on numerous occasions in the month before her death.

In sentencing, Justice Betty King said Nguyen had previously been warned about the dangers of leaving babies inside hot cars.

"Your failure to listen or to heed any of the warnings you were given in relation to leaving this infant in the car will be undoubtedly something you should remember for the rest of your life," she said.